Using a hydroeconomic model to evaluate alternative methods applied for the delineation of protection zones

An Integrated Framework to Assess the Environmental and Economic Impact of Fertilizer Restrictions in a Nitrate-Contaminated Aquifer

“…In addition, it should be noted that, while denitrification mainly occurs at the pore scale where local conditions may differ, at a regional scale, nitrates generally behave as conservative contaminants, exhibiting no significant retardation compared to groundwater movement [35,70]. In conclusion, in the present study, nitrate transport was simulated by considering only the advective-dispersive mechanism, since molecular diffusion was also neglected given its generally minor role [27,35].…”

“…In this context, it is notably important to adopt and implement corrective management practices aimed at preventing nitrate contamination caused by the excessive usage of agricultural fertilizers, which also aligns with all relevant European legislation, such as the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC), the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), and the Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC), as well as with the objectives outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and especially those of SDG 6. According to SDG 6, access to safe and affordable drinking water for everyone by 2030 has to be ensured by reducing water pollution, which involves, among other things, the mitigation of groundwater nitrate contamination [26][27][28]. In general, imposing restrictions on the usage of nitrogen-based fertilizers-which is actually translated to reducing fertilizer application rate and thus limiting nitrogen input into the soil and nitrate leaching into groundwater-is a common and effective practice applied in the effort of controlling nitrate contamination in rural areas [8,[29][30][31][32]; apparently, the higher the reduction in the rate of fertilizer application is, the greater the decrease in nitrate contamination levels might be, thus increasing the likelihood of reaching or maintaining compliance with established groundwater quality standards.…”